Events and Programming​

2019-2020

May 15, 2020 - Webinar:

Bias & Micro-aggressions Addressing Current Issues During COVID-19: Raise Awareness, Address Incidents & Lessen Exclusion within Your Community

Racism and xenophobia, along with many other types of micro-aggressions and bias, have increased as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Asians and Asian Americans have faced harassment, discrimination, and violence, while a shift to remote or virtual online learning has left many without equitable tools to learn.  The use of masks by many people of color further illuminates the cultural bias society has as some are perceived as criminals although the use of protective facial coverings is advised for many across the world. 

How can your campus address these key equity and inclusion concepts in light of the current health crisis?

How can faculty, staff and administrators educate and respond both virtually and in-on campus environments?

Join your peers on May 13, 2020, where our expert presenter will offer crucial, actionable takeaways to help you delve into these many issues of bias and micro-aggressions so you can effectively combat incidents within your community and beyond. 

You’ll walk away with a foundational understanding of important equity and inclusion concepts; the ability to assess your own biases; and strategies to address micro-aggressions, bias, discrimination and hate towards a variety of communities whether virtually or in person.

May 5, 2020 - Webinar:

Racism and COVID-19 in Rhode Island; The Physician Experience

SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) first emerged as a highly contagious disease in Wuhan, China. It now infects about 2.5 million people worldwide, with the US accounting for about a third of the cases. Nearly 200,000 people have died throughout the world thus far. While Covid-19 is a global phenomenon, the local context varies greatly in the numbers of cases, hospitalizations, deaths, patient and provider experiences of the virus, and ability to respond effectively to the spread of the virus.

The Race, Medicine, and Social Justice Working Group of the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice will present a panel that draws on the knowledge and experience of physicians from different specialties practicing in Rhode Island. Panelists will explore the local Rhode Island experience, particularly with respect to how Covid-19 and the response to the virus affects African Americans, Latinx, and Native Americans in our state. We have invited six physicians from different medical specialties to share their experiences with Covid-19.

Panelists include: Carla C. Moreira, MD, RPVI, Taneisha Wilson, MD, ScM, Joseph Diaz, MD, MPH, FACP, Bethany Gentilesco, MD, Cyril O. Burke III, MD and Catherine Trimbur, MD, MPH. The conversation will be moderated by Professor Lundy Braun, Departments of Africana Studies and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Science and Technology Program. 

March 30, 2020 - Webinar: 

Supporting Your Marginalized & Vulnerable Students During COVID-19 

Frontline staff who work with students of color; LGBTQIA+ students; students with disabilities; first generation students; lower income students; and those with housing & food insecurity are working hard to help meet unique needs during this unprecedented crisis. Many are scrambling to develop policies and programs. Others are vetting requests of who can and who can’t remain on campus. The rapid pace is causing tremendous stress for those working tirelessly to make these changes as seamless as possible. 

Join your colleagues from across the country for an interactive webinar on Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Our experienced presenters are currently on the front lines of their respective campuses shaping processes and decisions for marginalized and vulnerable students.

They will share their firsthand experience working through this crisis and how to move forward to ensure that students are supported through an intersectional lens, that there is equity and ethics incorporated into institutional decision making, and how this crisis is changing the higher education landscape

March 25, 2020 - Webinar 

The Science of Social Distancing: Part 1

The first COVID-19 Conversations webinar will review how COVID-19 is transmitted, historical lessons from past pandemics, the state of the science on social distancing, and the targeted and layered nature of how social distancing practices are enacted. 

The webinar will feature a panel of expert speakers, including:

• Nancy Messonnier, MD - Director, Center for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Howard Markel, MD, PhD - George E. Wantz Distinguished Professor of the History of Medicine and Director of the Center for the History of Medicine, University of Michigan
• Marc Lipsitch, DPhil - Director, Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health 
• Mitch Stripling - National Director, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Planned Parenthood and former assistant commissioner of Agency Preparedness and Response for New York City
  

March 6, 2020

Reflecting & Celebrating Women International Women’s Day 2020   

Theme: Each for Equal: Fighting Bias for an Inclusive Community

Our speakers include Cheryl Burrell, Associate Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Opportunity of Rhode Island Department of Administration; Kelly Nevins, Executive Director at Women's Fund of Rhode Island; and Liana Cassar RI House of Representative -District 66.

Hope and Change for Haiti (HnC) is hosting its third annual “Reflecting and Celebrating Women” International Women’s Day event to celebrate women.  “Reflecting and Celebrating Women” offers a platform to celebrate the work of women discuss issues that impacted them, and promote strategies to bring positive change. In fact, this year is particularly special as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Women’s suffrage. However, we cannot forget that black women faced severe obstacles to voting because of their skin color. Black women were not granted the same freedom to vote in many parts of this country until the 1960s. Unfortunately, in 2020, women of color continue to experience acts of micro-aggression, individual and institutional racism. At this event, our speakers will emphasize the urgency to acknowledge inequities, bias, and racism against people of color, particularly its impact on Black women. 

March 3, 2020 Dialogue on Diversity and Inclusion Presents: 

Spring Lecture 

Photo courtesy of Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, photographer: Cat Laine.

Janaya Kizzie

Implicit Bias on Wikipedia

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

12:00-1:30 p.m., Gaige 200

Wikipedia is the 10th-most visited website in the world. It is the first—and sometimes the last—place people go when they need information. But as an information source composed and regulated by the public, Wikipedia suffers from the same issues of implicit bias as the rest of the world. The following program is a combined lecture and workshop series focused on understanding and ending implicit bias on Wikipedia. It is designed to encourage participation from all members of the RIC community. Participants are welcome to attend the lecture, workshop, or both. 

12:00 - 1:30: Lecture Program, Gaige 200 - Lunch included

Janaya Kizzie (Rhode Island Arts and Culture Research Fellow at the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities) will provide an introduction to Wikipedia. She’ll discuss current concerns in the Wikipedia and world community about the website’s failings on issues of gender and racial equality. During her talk, Kizzie will show examples where Wikipedia’s vision and values have succeeded and where they have failed, and discuss ways in which the Rhode Island College community can account for, address, and mitigate implicit bias. Kizzie will demonstrate how her own work as a Wikipedia editor does more than fill gaps in coverage, she is intent on publishing articles about people and organizations who aren’t being written about. 

2:00 - 3:00: Workshop Program, Library Instruction Facility - 30 person limit

After her talk, Kizzie will facilitate a hands-on Wikipedia editing workshop in the Adams Library. Participants will learn about types of implicit bias on Wikipedia and how to correct them using robust research and credible sources. They will receive an in-depth introduction to editing on Wikipedia, Wikipedian culture/editors, and the technical aspects of editing Wikipedia. Over the course of the workshop, participants will create a Wikipedia account and make 10 edits, giving them editor status on Wikipedia. Kizzie will speak with faculty who are interested in developing open-enabled pedagogy assignments that investigate, analyze, or work to end implicit bias on Wikipedia.

About Janaya Kizzie

Janaya Kizzie is an archivist, librarian, and historian. She is the first Rhode Island Arts and Culture Research Fellow at the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, where her work included the composition of Wikipedia articles about Rhode Island Arts and Culture. Kizzie also processed the archives of local arts collective AS220, and serves on the public projects board of feminist arts collective, The Dirt Palace. For more information about Kizzie and her Wikipedia activities, visit: https://rihumanities.org/humanities-council-introduces-ri-arts-and-culture-research-fellow-janaya-kizzie/

February 4, 2020 FCTL Book Club Launch

Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education

The Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL)  Spring 2020 Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education (authors: T. Tobin & K. Behling).  Book description: Advocates for the rights of people with disabilities have worked hard to make universal design in the built environment “just part of what we do.” We no longer see curb cuts, for instance, as accommodations for people with disabilities, but perceive their usefulness every time we ride our bikes or push our strollers through crosswalks.

Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone is aimed at faculty members, faculty-service staff, disability support providers, student-service staff, campus leaders, and graduate students who want to strengthen the engagement, interaction, and performance of all college students. It includes resources for readers who want to become UDL experts and advocates: real-world case studies, active-learning techniques, UDL coaching skills, micro- and macro-level UDL-adoption guidance, and use-them-now resources.

December 3, 2019 Radical Healing: Youth Development in These Times: 

Panel discussion of leading youth development professionals: Court King, Dulari Tahbildar and Harrison Grigsby

Two anchors of the Youth Development Program are Social Justice and Critical Care. The event, Radical Healing: Youth Development in These Times is an opportunity for members of the Rhode Island College and members of the surrounding community to engage in a panel discussion about radical healing in youth development followed by an explanation of the Youth Development Master’s Program at Rhode Island College. . The panelists discussed the connections among radical healing and youth development in our local community. Through this event, we intend to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within our RIC community and among the broader community by highlighting ways in which educators of color are working to create change around issues of identity based discrimination and the ways in which systematic oppression connects to the field of youth development. 

November 13, 2019 

DDI Talks: Exploring Micro-aggression and Implicit Bias in our Lives and Communities

Lunch and Learn

12:30-2 p.m. in Alger Hall 110

This important conversation will feature Warren Miller, Asst. Prof., Social Work; Kymberlee O’Brien, Asst. Prof., Psychology; Pegah Rahmanian, Director, Unity Center; and student moderator Ronya Traynham. We encourage you to bring your students for what promises to be a spirited discussion of professional and lived experiences, with an opportunity for attendees to ask questions of the panelists and moderators. 

October 30, 2019: The Blind Poet: Dave Steele   

Dave Steele is bringing his first U.S. book tour to Rhode Island College.  This is your opportunity to meet the inspirational, prolific, blind author of more than 700 poems and songs dealing with the fears and struggles associated with vision loss. Listen as Dave describes the frustration of losing his sight and livelihood to the ravages of the genetic eye disease Retinitis Pigmentosa. Hear the poetry that became his therapy, won worldwide acclaim, and became the number one best-selling poetry series on three continents. You will walk away sharing his mission to help those isolated by vision loss, to let them know they are not alone.

Dialogue on Diversity and Inclusion 
​Spring 2019 Lecture

“Mindbugs: The Ordinary Origins of Bias”

Jordan Axt of Project Implicit

A lecture to increase awareness, foster opportunities for effective relationships, and cultivate cultural humility and curiosity. Free and open to the public. Light refreshments.

Wednesday, March 20, 2019
12:30-2 p.m.
Gaige Hall 100, Rhode Island College

Awareness of implicit bias and microaggressions are essential to:

• Increase awareness of how our socialization process unconsciously perpetuates implicit biases and microaggressions.
• Help foster opportunities for active and effective connections and relationships among a diverse group of people.
• Cultivate cultural humility and curiosity to hold safe spaces for healthy discourse on tackling uncomfortable conversations and understanding why something someone might see as innocuous might have real impacts.

Jordan Axt received his doctoral degree in social psychology from the University of Virginia in May 2017. Currently he is a post-doctoral researcher at Duke University and director of data and methodology at Project Implicit, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting research on implicit bias. Starting January 2020, he will be an assistant professor of psychology at McGill University. His research focuses on the origins and consequences of implicit bias in domains such as race, religion, age and sexual orientation. His work has been covered by media outlets such as National Public Radio, The Los Angeles Times, and CBS News, and he has given presentations on implicit bias to faculty, legal, corporate and medical audiences. Sponsored by Dialogue on Diversity and Inclusion​.

Webinar: Addressing Implicit Bias & Micro-Aggressions to Create An Inclusive Classroom & Campus Community by Innovative Educators –Open webinar held in March 2019. The objectives were to recognize implicit bias, understand how micro-aggressions negatively impact marginalized groups, increase awareness of ethnocentrism and privilege, and foster increased classroom and campus inclusiveness, empowerment and engagement.

Co-Sponsored Events & Programs

Identity, Power, and Privilege in Human-Service Fields, Featuring Guest Speakers Marco McWilliams and Lynn Hernandez: This presentation was organized by the Counseling, Educational Leadership and School Psychology Department and attended by students and faculty from the Mental Health Counseling, School Psychology, Social Work, Psychology and Nursing Departments.

Unconscious Bias, Critical Awareness, and Counseling Workshop Facilitated by Dr. MiNa Chung from Roger Williams University: This workshop was organized by students and faculty from the Counseling, Educational Leadership and School Psychology Department and consisted of didactic and experiential exercises as well as in depth discussions on unconscious bias and its effects on individuals and practitioners. Topics highlighted included: Critical Social Justice, Critical Race Theory, Intersectional Feminist Theory, Queer Theory, Gender and Sexuality, Exploring Whiteness, and Creating Inclusive Classrooms.

Masculinity and You: Preventing Gender Based Violence Featuring Kira Manser from the Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health: Seeds funds to plan event organized by the Unity Center and supported by RIC Coexist, The Pride Alliance, Feminists United, and the Rhode Island Student Collaborative (RISC). The program attempts to examine the concept of masculinity, explain how to identify toxic messages, and offer new ways of thinking about masculinity and restorative justice

Diversity Summit: March 19, 2018

"Whose Streets"​ documentary on Ferguson Mississippi March 22, 2018

Diversity Week 2017
Hispanic Heritage Month: S​ept. 15 - Oct. 15​

Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.  

Reasonable accommodations for disabilities available upon request.        

​For more information on Diversity Week events, stop by the Unity Center (DDC lower level) or visit our webpage www.ric.edu/unitycenter for updated information on events.   

Monday Oct. 2

10-11 a.m.
Perspectives: Looking Inward to See Outward
Student Union 434

This program is experiential and based on the work of feminist and anti-racism activist, Peggy McIntosh, author of the acclaimed (1989) article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” All people experience degrees of privilege, yet privilege is more abundant for some and oppression more prevalent for others. The goal of this program is to help people understand how societal advantage and disadvantage influence people’s lives. Participants engage in structured exercises followed by collaborative discussion.

Presented by Julia Kamenetsky, Psy.D. ​Sponsored by the Counseling Center   ​

TWant to meet the siblings of RIC’s newest multicultural co-ed Greek organization? Founded in 2001, Theta Delta Sigma Society Inc., is a national organization built upon the values of leadership, diversity, unity and respect. Since its inception, the society has been a recognized contributor to raising multicultural awareness. Come meet the siblings and learn more.

Sponsored by Theta Delta Sigma Inc. and Student Activities​

2-4 p.m.
Brazilian Music Lecture and Performance:
“Choro das 3”
Alger 110

This lecture and live musical performance explores the origin and aspects of the “choro” genre of music arising in the Portuguese-speaking country of Brazil during the 19th Century. The family-based group “Choro das 3” from São Paulo, Brazil, is composed of sisters Corina (flutes), Lia (seven-string acoustic guitar) and Elisa (mandolin, clarinet, banjo and piano) and their father Eduardo (pandeiro). The group has performed concerts and workshops throughout Brazil, the United States, Mexico and France.

Sponsored by the Institute for Portuguese and Lusopohone World Studies

4-6 p.m.
“I Am Not Your Negro”
Gaige 200

In 1979 James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next book project, “Remember This House.” It was to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and successive assassinations of three of his close friends – Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. At the time of Baldwin’s death in 1987, he left behind only 30 completed pages of his manuscript. In this incendiary new documentary, master filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished. (rottentomatoes.com).

Sponsored by Open Books – Open Minds 

Tuesday, Oct. 3

4 – ​5 p.m.
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students in Special Education 
President’s Dining Room

Culturally and linguistically diverse students are overrepresented in learning disability, speech impairment, and emotional/behavioral disturbance programs. Unfortunately, this is not a new problem. This problem affects African Americans, Latinos(as), Native Americans and low-income students or children who are English language learners. Participants will learn about the social and educational factors that cause this overrepresentation and gain knowledge of past and current policies and practices for improving services for culturally and linguistically diverse students and families. 

Sponsored by the Department of Special Education.

7 – 9 p.m.
“Love Shouldn’t Hurt”
​Gaige Hall 200

Domestic violence is a pervasive problem in virtually all countries, cultures, ethnic and racial groups and social classes.  October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “Love Shouldn’t Hurt” will consist of a diverse panel who discuss the violence that occurs in some relationships. 

Sponsored by Omega Phi Beta Sorority Inc. 

10 – 12 noon
Elementary Education 437
Cross Cultural Connections in a College Travel Course – Open Class
Henry Barnard School 205

This class session examines the opportunities and challenges of international service learning.  What is an international curriculum? How do students benefit from globalized learning?  These questions and more will be explored.

Presented by Professor Maria Lawrence, Department of Elementary Education

Wednesday, Oct. 4 

10 a.m.–12 noon
Elementary Education 437Cross Cultural Connections in a College Travel Course – Open Class
Henry Barnard School 205

This class session examines the opportunities and challenges of international service learning. What is an international curriculum? How do students benefit from globalized learning? These questions and more will be explored.

Presented by Professor Maria Lawrence, Department of Elementary Education

11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Veteran Expo
Campus Quad

This event compliments the Student Veterans in Classrooms presentation which is immediately following. The expo will feature resource tables from various VA providers and community organizations that support Veterans in RI.  The vendors will include the VA Medical Center, VA Regional Office, Vet Center, Million Records Project, RI Division of Veteran Affairs, Operation Stand Down RI, RI Department of Labor and Training, Team RWB, and Vets Inc.

Sponsored by the Veterans Resource Center and Vet Success on Campus

11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Study Abroad Informational Fair
President’s Dining Room  

This program will provide students with an opportunity to speak with representatives from the RIC Shinn Study Abroad Program and RIC affiliated off-campus study abroad programs so that they can become informed about opportunities to experience living and learning in a variety of locations and situations. What better w​ay to learn about cultural, ethnic and linguistic diversity?  

Sponsored by the Rhode Island College Study Abroad Office    

12–2 p.m.
Student Veterans in Classrooms 
Alger 242 

Veterans make up only one percent of the U.S. population. Further, sixty percent of those in the military come from military families, making opportunities to get to know military connected people and culture a challenge for most civilians. This interactive discussion will provide a better understanding of the transition from military service to academic life and explore ways to reduce any disconnect between the civilian population and student veterans on campus. The number of student veterans at RIC is increasing each year. All students, faculty and staff are invited to engage and better understand student veterans on a more personal level. 

Sponsored by the Veterans Resource Center and Vet Success on Campus

12:30–2 p.m.
Privilege Walk
Campus Quad

Join Theta Delta Sigma Inc. for this interactive exercise that examines power and privilege in American society.

12:30–2 p.m.
Access Challenge: Eye-Opening Experience
Campus Quad 
(Student Union Lobby – rain location)

Come try an eye-opening experience! The Fall 2017 Access Challenge will feature visual impairment (VI) simulation activities so that students, faculty and staff can experience what it is like to have low or no vision. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about service dogs, Braille, white-cane awareness, how to be a sighted guide, careers in the field of VI and more.

Sponsored by the Disability Services Center, Advocacy and Beyond Club and the Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities 

12:30–2 p.m. - CANCELLED
It’s Lit
L4L Adams Library lower level 
Conference Room

This introductory workshop uses hiphop as a catalyst to dissect social phenomena. Various themes will be explored as it relates to the diaspora of AfricanAmerican culture. Participants will have an opportunity to learn concepts of race, class, gender and personal identity. The workshop will provide a platform for students to engage in discussion about the history of hip-hop, its impact on global society and gain perspective on marginalized and underrepresented groups through hiphop music, art and culture. 

Presented by Jon Hope

Sponsored by Learning for Life

2–4 p.m.
Forum on Race and Society   
Alger 110   

The 2017-18 Open Books – Open Minds reading selection, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “Between the World and Me,” raises issues of race, multiculturalism, oppression, diversity and inclusion. This forum seeks to connect Coates’ book to our own community and to foster dialogue, understanding and action regarding social justice. A panel of speakers comment from their own perspectives. A Q&A is to follow. 

Sponsored by Open Books – Open Minds 

3–4 p.m. - CANCELLED
Bilingual Yoga Class for Beginners
Recreation Center Multipurpose Room

Nurture your mind and body while simultaneously practicing your Spanish or English skills. Check out this wonderful bilingual yoga class for beginners. All you need is a mat, comfortable yoga clothes, and a bottle of water to stay hydrated. Don’t have a mat? Don’t worry we’ll provide one. Need a bottle of water? We’ve got that, too. Join us in creating a bond between yoga, mindfulness, and multiculturalism.

Sponsored by the International Student Office and the Department of Modern Languages

4-6 p.m. 
Growing up Hearing/Growing up Deaf
Student Union Ballroom  

The definition of deafness, in terms of decibel hearing loss, fails to recognize that Deafness is part of an overall identity, rich in language and culture. The many experiences and perspectives of Deaf and culturally Deaf people are explored through the concept of intersectionality, which suggests that varied parts of who we are intersect and impact how we perceive and are perceived (Crenshaw, 1989). RIC Professor of Special Education Marie Lynch, who grew up culturally Deaf, and Rhode Island School for the Deaf teacher Robin Henderson, who is Deaf, share their intersectional experiences. This program broadens knowledge and awareness of the cultural/linguistic strengths of Deaf people, seeks to reduce stereotypes and promotes inclusion. 

Sponsored by the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, Department of Special Education; and the Rhode Island School for the Deaf

4–7 p.m.
Music and Anthropology 167 - Open Class
Music in Non-Western Worlds
Nazarian Center 188

One of the most persuasive tools of cultural diplomacy today is music. As a commodity shared by all cultures, music breaks the barriers of politics, nations, ethnicity and creed – allowing all to share equally in an endeavor that binds all peoples through a common medium. We invite all to participate in this stimulating engagement with cultures near and far. Come in at any time with an open mind and open ears, no preparation necessary.

Sponsored by Departments of Anthropology and Music, Theatre and Dance.

6-8 p.m.
Queer History: Amazing Stories   
President’s Dining Room  

In this interactive, lecture-style workshop Sarah Prager reads from her book, “Queer There and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World.” This workshop focuses on queer history, its importance, builds on what the audience already knows and is followed by Q&A. Sharing the history of queer folks, whose stories or queerness has been traditionally erased, is a form of placemaking and validation. These stories exist and are valued on our campus and in society.

Sponsored by the RIC Pride Alliance

7 – 8 p.m.
Drag Queen Story Hour
Adams Library Reinhardt Room

“Featuring Drag Queen Jacqueline DiMera, Miss Gay Rhode Island USofA Newcomer 2016,” and based on the popular Drag Queen Story Hour events in New York libraries, this program showcases the Adams Library’s collections, LGT-Friendly Picture Books for Children and LGBTQ Materials for Children and Young Adults​. These collections were donated by Elizabeth Rowell, retired Professor of Elementary Education at RIC.

Q&A to follow.

Sponsored by the Adams Library and RIC Pride Alliance

7–9 p.m.
Paint Night
Student Union 307

This paint night is all about diversity! We provide the materials; you are the artist.  All attendees are asked to create a painting that depicts aspects of diversity and inclusion. 

Sponsored by Theta Delta Sigma, Inc. and Student Activities

Thursday, Oct. 5

10:30 a.m.–Noon
Coffee Hour Intro   
Unity Center  

Have coffee and morning snacks with Chris Susi the new coordinator for LGBTQ+ affairs at RIC. Bring your ideas about increasing visibility and support for LGBTQ+ issues and ensuring our campus is safe and affirming. All are welcome.

Sponsored by the Unity Center LGBTQ+ Office

12 – 1 p.m.
“What’s Love Got to Do With It?”
Unity Center  

The movie “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” has inspired people to overcome their obstacles, and achieve their dreams. The movie opens with the phrase “Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.” The philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism is based in the recognition of the value and dignity of life, and promotes equality and peace in society through the practice of chanting. In the movie’s title song, Tina Turner writes “I've read it someplace/ I've got cause to be/ There's a name for it/ There's a phrase that fits”. This event will include an informal presentation about the philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism as well as time for questions and dialogue. Presenter, associate professor of Biology

Breea Govenar, has practiced Nichiren Buddhism since she was a child.

12 noon – 2 p.m.
Elementary Education 437
Cross Cultural Connections in a College Travel Course – Open Class
Henry Barnard School 212

This class session examines the opportunities and challenges of international service learning.  What is an international curriculum? How do students benefit from globalized learning?  These questions and more will be explored.

Presented by Professor Maria Lawrence, department of Elementary Education

12:30-2 p.m. 
Rights and Responsibilities: LGBTQ Inclusive Classrooms 
President’s Dining Room   

This program examines how teachers can create welcoming classrooms for LGTBQ youth and families through the integration of an inclusive literacy program. Discussion will address “heteronormativity,” “gender roles” and “binary gender identifications” as pervasive hindrances to the rights of students and the responsibilities of educators. Based on reflections and ideas from “Safe Spaces: Making Schools and Communities Welcoming to LGBT Youth” by Annemarie Vaccaro, Gerri August and Megan Kennedy 

Presented by Henry Barnard School teacher associate CJ Meehan

4-6 p.m.
“No-No Boy”: A Multimedia Concert on Japanese Internment  
Gaige 200  

“No-No Boy” is a collection of songs written by singer-songwriter Julian Saporiti. Inspired by his doctoral research at Brown University and growing up as a Vietnamese-American in Tennessee, his songs, archival photographs and films, as well as stories he has collected, highlight diverse Asian-American experiences. Through an immersive experience, this performance explores complicated histories – Jazz bands in WWII Japanese incarceration camps, refugee sagas, kids in Middle America making sense of a hyphenated identity.  

Sponsored by the Department of Anthropology, Anthropos 

Friday, Oct. 6

Noon-2:30 p.m.
Movie Matinee: Get Out
Faculty Center Main Dining Room

A young AfricanAmerican man meets his white girlfriend’s family for a weekend in their secluded estate in the woods, but before long, the friendly and polite ambience gives way to a nightmare. (IMDb) Light lunch is included.

Sponsored by the Unity Center 

Beyond Diversity Week

Wednesday, Oct. 11   

National Coming Out Day   

National Coming Out Day (NCOD) was founded by Robert Eichberg and Jean O’Leary in 1988 to commemorate the March on Washington for   

Lesbian and Gay Rights a year earlier on October 11. The purpose of the day is to promote awareness and celebrate the LGBTQ community.  This year marks the 29th anniversary of NCOD.  ​

Thursday, Oct. 12

7 p.m.
Noite de Cinema Português: “A Gaiola Dourada/The Gilded Cage” 
Gaige 100  

This Portuguese and French comedy follows the story of a Portuguese immigrant family living in France and addresses the challenges of living in a foreign country.  The themes of assimilation, cultural difference and estrangement from the homeland are part of the underlying framework. Open to the local Portuguese-American community as well as to RIC students, the film gives the opportunity to understand the universality of these challenges outside the United States.

Sponsored by the Institute for Portuguese and Lusophone World Studies in collaboration with the RI Day of Portugal

Friday Oct. 20

7:30 p.m.
Festival of South African Dance
Roberts Hall Auditorium 

Direct from South Africa, this ensemble of 20 dancers and musicians present a unique South African story. The Gumboots’ musical is a tale of rural African men who find a way to survive in the goldmines of Johannesburg. The Pantsula dancers showcase South Africa’s vibrant contemporary culture through their revolutionary street dance. This is a ticketed event. No charge for RIC students; for more information contact the box office at 401-456-8144.

Presented by the Performing Arts Series at Rhode Island College​​​

Promising Practices Conferences​​​